UNTIL THEN J - MACK

**** Saturday evening I attended the Visitation of Joe McLemore of Medina, Tennessee . Joe was one of my oldest & closest friends . We had been buds since first grade in 1956 .

For three years after high school ,Joe & I and another first grade buddy called Rip were as tight as Dolly Parten's sweater. From age 18 to 21 we did everything together . Rip was my roommate at UTM until he married . Then Rip said he didn't think we could continue to room together .

Joe & Rip made their life at Medina & I hit the road . Joe made a great life ,married ,had 3 fine sons , grandchildren , & his church could not have made it without him . I think he was a deacon & chairman of every committee assembled .

Joe was the glue that held our group together . If you needed to know about someone , Joe was the man . He kept up with all of our bunch . I can't count the number of times he checked on me through the years .

When I arrived at Friendship Church ,the line was out the door into the parking lot . I stayed over 90 minutes & the line was just as long as when I left .

When you invest your life in a small town & are a remarkable person ,a massive turnout is not surprising .

Joe was wearing a tie . He always liked to style & profile . The tie had baseballs on it . That was not a shock because Joe loved baseball & all sports .

Joe's satin Yankees jacket was folded in the casket . Joe loved Jesus & the Yankees .

Rip was there . I visited with other members of our group , Becky Vickie, Stephen & Jesse . We all would really miss Joe .

As for me , one of the strongest connections to my early life is gone . I will drift farther away from what used to be home without Joe as one of my anchors .

Joe was the character J - Mack in all those stories I write .

I visited Joe on the fourth of July . We had a great time . We both knew it would be the last time .

I guess Bob Seger was singing about Joe , Rip,& I when he sang

THE SECRETS THAT WE SHARED

THE MOUNTAINS THAT WE MOVED

WE WERE RUNNING

RUNNING AGAINST THE WIND

UNTIL THEN J - MACK